German Love Songs: Medieval Minnesang to Pop Culture

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

“Saget mir ieman wâz ist minne?” (Can anyone tell me: What ist love?) – that is a question not only Minnesänger Walther von der Vogelweide asks himself. “Flugzeuge im Bauch” (Airplanes in your tummy) is what German songwriter Herbert Grönemeyer might offer for an answer. The course will introduce you to German love songs from about the 12th century until today. Get to know different historical concepts of what love might be and how tricky emotions can be turned into speech and song. Our discussions will cover formal aspects (rhymes, metre, strophes), stylistic and rhetorical devices, speech roles, gender stereotypes, and of course: concepts of love and how we can sing and talk about them. We will also cover medial aspects of these songs and will embark on several excursions to places like the Hesburgh Library and the Raclin-Murphy Museum. Please note that the course is being taught in German.